Brake pad assembly with universal shim

Abstract

A brake pad assembly includes a backing plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a brake liner coupled to the first surface of the backing plate and configured to engage a braking surface, and a shim coupled to the second surface of the backing plate, the shim including a planar body portion and a plurality of tabs integrally formed with and extending from the planar body portion. A first tab of the plurality of tabs is configured to secure the shim to the backing plate and to engage the braking surface when the brake liner is worn a predetermined amount.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A brake pad assembly, comprising:
 a backing plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; 
 a brake liner coupled to the first surface of the backing plate and configured to engage a braking surface of a rotor; and 
 a shim coupled to the second surface of the backing plate, the shim including a planar body portion and a plurality of tabs integrally formed with and extending from the planar body portion; 
 wherein a first tab of the plurality of tabs is configured to secure the shim to the backing plate and to engage the braking surface when the brake liner is worn a predetermined amount, and wherein the first tab comprises a pair of resilient spaced-apart extensions extending away from the planar body portion and configured to snap-fit onto the backing plate by first deflecting toward each other and then deflecting away from each other when the shim is being coupled to the backing plate. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least the first tab and a second tab of the plurality of tabs are configured to secure the shim to the backing plate and to engage the braking surface when the brake liner is worn a predetermined amount, the first and second tabs being spaced apart along a length of the shim and each configured to apply a different amount of force on the liner. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shim is a multi-layer shim including a first layer coupled to a second layer to form the body portion and the plurality of tabs. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shim is a first shim, and further comprising a second shim coupled to the first shim. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the second shim is provided between the first shim and the backing plate. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first tab is received in a channel formed in a side surface of the backing plate, and wherein the channel is configured to permit relative movement of the backing plate and the shim when the liner engages the braking surface. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first tab is configured to frictionally engage a side surface of the liner. 
     
     
       8. A brake pad assembly, comprising:
 a backing plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; 
 a brake liner coupled to the first surface of the backing plate and configured to engage a braking surface; and 
 a shim coupled to the second surface of the backing plate, the shim including a planar body portion and a plurality of tabs integrally formed with and extending from the planar body portion; 
 wherein a first tab of the plurality of tabs is configured to secure the shim to the backing plate, and wherein a second tab of the plurality of tabs is configured to engage the braking surface when the brake liner is worn a predetermined amount, and wherein the first tab comprises a pair of resilient spaced-apart extensions extending away from the planar body portion and configured to snap-fit onto the backing plate by first deflecting toward each other and then deflecting away from each other when the shim is being coupled to the backing plate. 
 
     
     
       9. The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second tabs are configured to secure the shim to the backing plate and to engage braking surface when the brake liner is worn a predetermined amount. 
     
     
       10. The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the shim is a multi-layer shim including a first layer coupled to a second layer to form the body portion and the plurality of tabs. 
     
     
       11. The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the shim is a first shim, and further comprising a second shim coupled to the first shim. 
     
     
       12. The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the second shim is provided between the first shim and the backing plate. 
     
     
       13. The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first tab is received in a channel formed in a side surface of the backing plate, and wherein the channel is configured to permit relative movement of the backing plate and the shim when the liner engages the braking surface. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of  claim 8 , wherein one of the first tab and the second tab is configured to frictionally engage a side surface of the liner. 
     
     
       15. A brake pad assembly, comprising:
 a backing plate having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a channel extending at least partially between the first surface and the second surface; 
 a brake liner coupled to the first surface of the backing plate and configured to engage a braking surface; and 
 a shim coupled to the second surface of the backing plate, the shim including a planar body portion and a tab integrally formed with and extending from the planar body portion such that the tab is received within the channel to couple the shim to the backing plate, wherein the tab comprises a pair of spaced-apart extensions extending away from the planar body portion and configured to snap-fit onto the backing plate by first deflecting toward each other and then deflecting away from each other when the shim is being coupled to the backing plate; 
 wherein the tab and the channel are configured to permit relative movement between the second surface of the backing plate and the shim when the brake liner engages the braking surface. 
 
     
     
       16. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the tab is configured to both secure the shim to the backing plate and engage the braking surface when the brake liner is worn a predetermined amount. 
     
     
       17. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the shim is a multi-layer shim including a first layer coupled to a second layer to form the body portion and the tab. 
     
     
       18. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the shim is a first shim, and further comprising a second shim coupled to the first shim. 
     
     
       19. The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the second shim is provided between the first shim and the backing plate. 
     
     
       20. The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the first tab is configured to frictionally engage a side surface of the liner.